It has been standard practice to display merchandise in stores by means of so-called slatwall or slotwall panels by providing profiles or support members which are mounted on a baseboard in spaced, parallel relationship, thereby forming horizontal grooves between adjacent profiles. The horizontal grooves are adapted to receive a shelf or other supporting member on which merchandise is placed for display. Conventionally, the shelf is braced from underneath with wood or metal brackets. In some instances, glass shelves are used in combination with metal knife brackets and standards for support. With this structure, however, only a lip on the front end of the knife bracket holds the glass in place and prevents the shelf from being accidentally dislodged from the supporting brackets. There is no provision for holding the shelf in place if it is hit from either side thereof.
Various other slatwall means have been devised for supporting shelves or the like by making the slatwall of different shapes, and using complemental shelf supporting means, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,381 issued Feb. 25, 1986 to Fred B. Breakey et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,058 issued May 27, 1986 to Douglas D. Amstutz et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,379 issued July 8, 1980 to Myron B. Morgan et al. However, all of these devices require specially constructed panels and merchandise supporting members for constructing the assembly.
It is an object of this invention to provide a display wall assembly for merchandise wherein a conventional shelf may be employed as the supporting member, and inserted into the horizontal groove formed by the slatwall, the shelf being held in place within the horizontal groove by securing means, without the necessity of providing exterior brackets.
Another object is to provide a display wall assembly as described, wherein means are provided for preventing accidental movement of the shelf in any direction with respect to the panel, while at the same time permitting the shelf to be readily inserted and removed from the panel groove as desired.
A further object is to provide a display wall assembly wherein the wall panel additionally permits the use of standard slatwall or slotwall hardware which is commonly used in retail merchandising.